Huge entourages, heavy security and demands for the sort of police protection normally reserved for heads of state.

For European soccer teams jetting across Asia, nothing is left to chance - but they sometimes run into problems anyway.

Today's money-spinning preseason tours are a far cry from 30 years ago, when the likes of Manchester United played friendlies against local sides, or at most hopped over to Ireland.

United, now a global brand, sent staff to Shanghai several times ahead of last week's friendly against Tottenham to ensure the Hongkou Stadium pitch was up to scratch.

Paris Saint-Germain dispatched a chef ahead of the team's arrival in each location in Asia to check that the food adheres to players' strict diets.

Security - which usually means keeping away overzealous fans - has been a primary concern for the clubs fanning out across Asia this month.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was accompanied by a beefy escort as he made the short walk to the team bus inside Nanjing Olympic Stadium.

Autograph and selfie-hunters were left empty-handed.

City's guarded approach - its security detail was never far away - angered Chinese media, which accused the club of an "attitude of arrogance".

Guardiola retorted: "Maybe one journalist is a little bit upset, I don't know why, but it's far away from what is reality."

'No vacation'

When it comes to accommodation for City, United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and the rest, only the best will do.

Guardiola and his expensively assembled squad - plus dozens of club staff - took over the exclusive, 130-room Banyan Tree hotel in Shanghai.

Rooms at the self-styled "urban retreat in the city's most scenic location" start at nearly 2,000 yuan (about $300) a night.

PSG brought a heaving delegation of 120 people to Shenzhen, Macao and Suzhou, among them eight security personnel with walkie-talkies and at least two cooks in club-crested chef uniforms.

While in Suzhou for last Tuesday's 3-0 win over Sydney FC, PSG stayed at the deluxe Fairmont Yangcheng Lake hotel.

However, the French champion's midfielder Julian Draxler said being holed up in a hotel - no matter how swanky - could be "quite boring".

Throw in training in fierce heat, and media and commercial duties, and Draxler said it was no holiday.

The 25-year-old German World Cup winner said he was happy to be in China and meet Chinese fans, but conceded: "Honestly, when we are in preseason, we see the hotel, the plane, the bus and the pitches.

"It's not like we go out and try some restaurants or go and do some shopping."

Because of internet challenges, players are unable to while away the hours on social media or read news from back home - which Newcastle United's young goalkeeper Freddie Woodman said was probably a blessing.

Profit and goodwill

The visits - Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia were also on some itineraries - are ultimately about creating profit and goodwill, but not every trip has ended well.

According to South Korean media, demands from Juventus to have a police escort - normally reserved for visiting heads of state - were refused.

Juventus arrived at the stadium for an exhibition match in Seoul 15 minutes after the scheduled kickoff, delaying the game by an hour after the team's flight arrived late.

The Italian champion then riled fans by keeping star attraction Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench. More than 2,000 South Koreans have teamed up to sue the sports agency involved.

There is little teams can do about temperatures touching 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), heavy rain, jet lag, traffic and flight delays.

Bad weather saw PSG stuck in Suzhou on Wednesday morning, while City's flight to China was delayed by two days because of a paperwork problem.

When the plane finally touched down, Guardiola hardly looked delighted.

"It's survival," he grimaced.

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